Dill is one of the most widely used herbs in the culinary world. It is harvested for its frond-like leaves and flavor-packed dill seeds. When used in soups or stews, it adds a punch of flavor to the recipe. It is often used in seafood dishes, salads, yogurt sauces, and even bread. Many people use dill as a garnish or for pickling. All in all, knowing how to harvest dill can take your ordinary recipes to the next level....
Table of Contents If Frankenstein’s monster were to take up gardening, he might find coral cactus to be his favorite plant. This melding of two succulent varieties into one unusual cactus-like plant is striking to see. Depending on the top crest, it may have a fan of white, red, green, yellow, or purple ruffled succulent growth on top of what looks like a medium-green “stem”. But this cactus isn’t actually a cactus at all, and if treated like one it can develop problems....
One of the best plants for first-time gardeners is the ZZ Plant. ZZ plants (botanical name, Zamioculcas zamiifolia) are hard to kill and live on neglect for months before showing signs. But chances are, you want to learn about caring for one of the easiest houseplants out there. Table of Contents The ZZ plant is one of those lovely houseplants that comes from Africa. As a tropical plant, it survives without fuss....
Let’s be honest… Table of Contents Some of these gardens you’ll see below are a little…crazy. But crazy is good, because it helps us stretch our creative muscles and inspire us to get back out into the dirt and create something. Whether you have a ton of space or are gardening in a small house or apartment, vertical gardening projects help to maximize your space – even allowing you to garden indoors!...
Dandelions may be delightful when they’re no more than pretty yellow flowers, but once the flowers mature, the seeds fly everywhere. We all get them on occasion, but eventually you need to find the best dandelion killer to take care of the job. Table of Contents Determining what that is, though, is a bit more complex. Those of us who want to stay organic hesitate to use the chemical options on the market, uncertain of how they may affect our other plants....
Keeping and raising chickens over the last several years has really grown in popularity. Thousands of American’s now raise backyard chickens and gain the benefit of fresh eggs every day. Not only can raising chickens be eco–friendly and provide you with fresh eggs they can also be used in your garden to reduce the amount of work you have to do. Chickens will keep your garden beds insect-free – they love to eat all kinds of insects and grubs....
Table of Contents Have you heard of the Back to Eden gardening method? If not, you should. This gardening technique will greatly improve your soil tilth and fertility over time. It promises a major reduction in tough weeds and the ability to grow almost everywhere. Water conservationists should rejoice, as this technique is great for drought conditions. But what exactly is the Back To Eden gardening method? Let’s break it down to a barebones layout of how it works and how to do your own....
You know those tiny oranges you buy in big bags at the store? The ones you can peel in one long strip that taste super sweet? They’re called clementines and they’re not exclusive to stores. You can grow them at home by having your own clementine tree! It sounds too good to be true, but clementine trees are great houseplants that are fairly easy to care for. In fact, if you haven’t grown citrus trees before, this is a great starter....
Potatoes are a huge staple crop of many different cultures and peoples. People have grown potatoes for centuries all over the world. There are at least one hundred varieties of seed potatoes and many different ways to eat them. Better yet, there are many ways to grow them, and among those is the topic of the day: growing potatoes in a bucket! Table of Contents Store-bought potatoes are cheap and plentiful, but they may contain some trace amounts of pesticides....
Quinoa, although it is often categorized with grains, is a seed crop native to South America. It falls under the goosefoot family (Chenopodium), which includes weeds like lambs quarters, swiss chard, and sugar beet. The seeds and leaves of a happily-growing quinoa plant are edible. Its seeds are treated like a grain in cooking and the leaves are used like spinach. Table of Contents Quinoa plants are showy with a botanical structure like amaranth and can grow very tall even in conditions that lack fertilizer or comprehensive irrigation....
Looking for a challenge? Opuntia microdasys is a fun plant with a deceiving appearance. Its pads grow in pairs resembling furry bunny ears. It may look friendly and fuzzy, but this cactus has extremely sharp hairs guaranteed to keep you on your toes. Table of Contents Also called bunny ears cactus, this plant is originally red and turns green as it matures. The prickly “fur” is white, yellow, or reddish-brown depending on the variety....
When you’re working in the garden this spring, you’re going to want the highest quality gardening shoes you can find. After all, you’ll be spending long hours out there preparing for spring planting, dividing your perennials, and more. You’ll want comfortable shoes that can be easily cleaned off! Table of Contents Here’s my checklist of some of the best garden shoes on the market right now. While a lot of these are unisex in style, they vary in colors available or sizing....
While many people love the convenience of their log splitter, not everyone has the money or space for one. And yet, those of us with fireplaces know that the best way to get firewood is to buy large rounds. So what do you do if you don’t have a log splitter? Table of Contents You get a splitting axe, of course! Some may find the physical aspects of using a splitting axe to be intimidating, but as long as you have a quality axe and a little time, you can easily break apart your firewood into much more manageable sizes....
You’ve put lots of time and effort into your garden. Perhaps you’ve added raised beds with phenomenal soil. Maybe you’ve amended in-ground beds to sheer perfection. And suddenly, the neighborhood cats think your garden spaces are their personal litter box. How do you keep cats out of garden beds successfully? Table of Contents There are many, many tips suggested online. Unfortunately, a lot of these methods just don’t work well. Sometimes they’re very short-lived....
Before we get started, if you haven’t read my hydroponic nutrients guide, hop on over there now and educate yourself! OK, let’s talk about a crucial step in your hydroponics education – pH and nutrient availability. We have already learned what plants need to survive: LightWaterNutrientsOxygenCarbon dioxide In this article, we’ll take a look at just two of these: water and nutrients. Listen to this post on the Epic Gardening Podcast:...
When building a greenhouse, you need to have greenhouse plastic unless you’re building a permanent structure with solid-sheet panels of glass, acrylic, or polyethylene. So what should you use? How do you figure out how much you need, and what’s the best greenhouse plastic for your needs? Table of Contents Today we’ll dive into the world of greenhouse plastic, both film and semi-rigid or rigid, and discover some of the options available to you....
Lighthouse Hydro Blackstar 270w FSF Initial Impressions Specifications Size: 15″ L x 11″ W x 3″H Coverage Area: 2′ x 3′ (@ 18”), 2.5′ x 3.75′ (@24”), 3′ x 4.5′ (@ 36”) LED Chipset: 3w High Output – 60mil Number of LED’s: 90 Red/IR: 680nm, 660nm, 630nm White: 12000k Blue/UV: 425nm, 460nm Worldwide Voltage: 100v-240v Modular Power Supply (Available in US, UK, EU, AU) Daisy Chain Ready (Link up to 4 Chrome 270’s using 1 power cord) Ramial Chipped Wood: How To Use It In Your Garden Hairy Vetch: A Pollinator Plant And Great Cover Crop Sedum Angelina: Growing Angelina Stonecrop Succulents Arrowroot Plant: Growing New Gluten-Free Foods Lantana Plant: Gloriously Bold And Brilliant Flowers Rhus Glabra: Growing Smooth Sumac With Ease Berlandiera Lyrata, The Chocolate Flower Soil Blocking: Tried and True Seed Starting Tech Garden Hermit’s Delicious Sunchoke Chip Recipe
It’s a brand new year, and we’re all planning our garden escapades for the next season and preparing to start seeds. Peat pots are a fantastic option for those who’re starting plants or transplanting them. Table of Contents But what exactly is a peat pot? What are they made of, and how do they work? Are these better than other containers? Today, we’ll explore these peat-based options: pots, pellets, and strips....
As a gardener, you have probably heard about the benefits of soil fungi or even have added mycorrhizae into your soil – but not all fungi are beneficial. Verticillium wilt is a fungal disease that impacts over 400 plant species including trees and shrubs, vines, flowers, and vegetables. Some of our most prized garden plants such as roses and tomatoes are susceptible. Table of Contents There are two types of this soil-borne fungi: Verticillium dahliae and Verticillium albo-atrum....
If you’ve ever discovered that your soil is simply too tough to penetrate with a shovel, you’ll need a digging fork. These tools are a great way to loosen the soil in preparation to digging. They’re also great for working organic material, fertilizer, or compost into your garden beds. They’re amazing for getting root vegetables up to the surface to be harvested. They’re great for turning your compost pile. Table of Contents...
